Chapter 46: Clint to the Rescue
Jane looked in the direction Lois pointed, only to see Destroyer's massive body approaching step by step, with the light on its head growing brighter and brighter, as if gathering something.
"Oh no, Lois, let's go!"
Jane's expression changed drastically. She grabbed Loisand pulled her aside. Although she didn't know what that thing was, she guessed that the previous explosion was caused by that light, and that thing was clearly coming for them. They couldn't stay here any longer.
Sure enough, just as Jane pulled Lois away, a wave of light blasted from Destroyer's head towards where they had been, instantly creating a large crater in the ground.
"This…"
The two were so shocked they couldn't utter a word. They stared blankly at the large crater and swallowed hard.
With such power, if they had been hit, there would have been no chance of survival.
The two looked at each other, not daring to stay put, and quickly turned to continue fleeing.
However, Destroyer, having finally spotted its targets, clearly wouldn't let them leave so easily. It sped up, closing in on them, while another wave of light began to gather on its head.
Bang!!!
Due to their continuous dodging, this light wave missed again, but the shrapnel from the explosion hit Lois's right leg, causing her to collapse to the ground.
"Hiss!!!"
Lois lay on the ground, rubbing her right leg, a pained expression on her face. Her right leg was now bruised and purple; it looked like a serious injury.
"Lois, are you alright?"
Jane quickly came over to help her up, but Lois's injury was too severe to move. After a long struggle, she still couldn't get her up.
At this rate, even if they got up, they wouldn't be able to run far and would surely be caught by that robot. Jane felt a surge of panic.
"Jane, leave me! Otherwise, you'll die too."
Lois also knew she couldn't escape and quickly urged Jane to leave. She had already considered Jane her friend and didn't want her friend to die in vain with her.
"What are you talking about? If I leave like this, I won't be able to explain it to Clark."
Jane didn't give up. Instead, she used all her strength to pull Lois up, moving forward inch by inch. Lois's counseling these past few days had made her see Lois as a friend, and in this situation, she wasn't willing to abandon her friend and live alone.
However, their movement was clearly too slow. Destroyeralso knew this, immediately stopped, gathered a light wave, and aimed it at them. At their current speed, they couldn't possibly dodge this attack. Once fired, it could instantly turn them to ashes.
"We can't dodge it…"
Seeing this, Lois and Jane felt a sense of despair. This attack was definitely unavoidable. They never expected to die so easily. Trembling, they closed their eyes, quietly awaiting Death's arrival.
At the same time, Destroyer's light wave reached its limit, about to fire.
The next second.
Whoosh!!!
An arrow flew, instantly piercing through Destroyer's head.
The light wave Destroyer had painstakingly gathered was instantly interrupted.
"Bullying little girls isn't a good habit, big chunk of metal."
Clint's voice came from behind.
Destroyer turned and looked, only to see Clint drawing another arrow, aiming it this way.
Seeing that Clint wasn't the target, Destroyer ignored him and continued towards Lois and Jane.
"You dare to ignore me? Let's see how many arrows you can withstand."
Clint frowned, then no longer held back. His hands moved extremely fast, drawing and firing arrows incessantly.
In an instant, a volley of arrows rained down on Destroyer's path.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Several arrows instantly pierced through Destroyer's body. The remaining arrows were scattered all over its path, and for a moment, Destroyer's advance was suppressed by Clint's arrows, rendering it unable to move.
"Looks like this thing isn't that strong after all."
Clint shook his head calmly. He had thought this thing was something special, but now it seemed it was nothing more than that.
Despite saying that, Clint's hands didn't stop, continuously firing arrows to suppress it.
"Clint has him suppressed. Split some people for fire support, and the rest go protect the other civilians and get them out."
Coulson, who had just arrived, saw Clint suppressing Destroyer and quickly gave orders.
He didn't believe that robot would be so easily suppressed. Clint's stamina would eventually run out, and they should take this opportunity to eliminate the robot directly.
The accompanying agents didn't dare to delay and quickly split up. Some went to evacuate civilians, while the rest immediately took out their weapons and opened fire in Destroyer's direction.
In an instant, Destroyer, already suppressed by Clint, was further attacked by a barrage of bullets, causing it to retreat repeatedly, unable to retaliate.
"Good, just like that! Eliminate him directly."
Seeing Destroyer seemingly on the verge of collapsing, Coulson's spirits lifted, and he quickly encouraged the agents around him.
Clint, nearby, saw this and shot arrows even more desperately.
Just then, a red light flashed on Destroyer's head, as if it had adapted to the power of the attack. It stopped retreating, and its body swelled. Then, all the arrows that had pierced it were pushed out, and its wounds began to heal rapidly, becoming as good as new in no time.
"What!!!"
Coulson frowned, his eyes growing serious. This level of firepower hadn't destroyed the robot, and the damage they had inflicted had recovered so quickly. What kind of monster was this?
"This…"
Clint's expression was grim. His attacks relied on arrows to harm enemies, and now, with this big chunk of metal's recovery ability, he had no way to deal with it.
After recovering, Destroyer turned to Clint, a red light flashing on its head as it began to gather a terrifying light wave, aimed at Clint.
Lois and Jane closed their eyes and waited for a long time but felt no pain, which made them a little curious.
"Lois, are you alright?"
Just then, Clark's voice came from the side.
"Clark?"
Lois thought she was hallucinating and quickly opened her eyes to look in the direction of the voice.
She saw Clark, with Thor, had driven up right in front of them and was walking towards her.
"Lois!!!"
Clark got out of the car and rushed over, embracing Loistightly, his hands not letting go.
Fortunately, they arrived in time. If they had been a moment later, Clark couldn't imagine what the outcome would have been; he would have gone mad.
"Clark!!!"
Lois's tears immediately fell. The pressure of facing life and Death and the tension of fleeing all this time had already made her unbearable. Now, seeing Clark, her nerves finally gave way, and her tears flowed uncontrollably.
Before, when she was about to die, she kept wondering if Clark would come to save her. She never expected him to really come, and that she hadn't died, and had seen Clark again.
Chapter 47: Tony from Afar
"Lois, okay, it's fine, I'm here, you'll be safe."
Clark looked at Lois with heartache, silently blaming himself for not returning sooner and letting her be frightened.
Seeing this tender scene between the two, Jane, who was standing aside, couldn't help but show a look of envy.
She had also been very frightened and wanted to vent her grievances, but why was there no one for her to lean on? Thinking of this, Jane looked at Thor beside her.
"Destroyer... why is my father's Destroyer here?"
Thor looked at Destroyer in the field and muttered to himself. He didn't know why his father's Destroyer was here, or why it kept attacking humans.
Destroyer should only listen to his father's orders. Was it an order from his father? Why would he want to kill humans?
Seeing Thor like this, Jane felt a pang in her heart, and tears almost fell.
What was she thinking? He wasn't paying attention to her at all; it was all her own unrequited feelings. Thor didn't feel anything for her at all.
...
Not far away.
Having failed to find Thor for a long time, Sif's group of four prepared to return and regroup first.
"Look, who's that?"
As Hogun was walking, his expression suddenly changed. He pointed into the distance and cried out in surprise.
"What? Finding Thor is the most important thing right now; nothing else matters."
Sif walked over dejectedly and happened to look in the direction Hogun was pointing. Her eyes immediately widened, and she exclaimed.
"That's... Thor!!!!"
The remaining two also leaned in and looked over. Sure enough, it was Thor standing there.
"I'm going to find him."
Seeing Thor right in front of her, Sif couldn't hold back any longer and was about to run over.
"Wait!!!"
Hogun grabbed her, his expression serious.
"Wait for what? Thor is right there. How can you ask me to wait?"
Sif glared at Hogun, her eyes full of confusion. Thor, whom they had been searching for so long, was right in front of them. Why wouldn't he let her go over?
"Look at the humans around Thor. Thor's power was probably taken by those people!"
"Thor has no divine power now and is in their hands. If you rush over recklessly, what if they hurt Thor?"
Hogun said solemnly. He wasn't as impulsive as Sif. The humans around Thor were certainly up to no good. If they went over like that, they would likely suffer a loss.
Hearing this, the other two's expressions changed. They looked at each other with very solemn faces, clearly believing Hogun's deduction and concluding that the people around Thor had ill intentions.
"Then... then what should we do?"
Sif hesitated upon hearing this. Right, the humans around Thor must have taken him hostage. If she went over like that, not only would it be difficult to rescue Thor, but she might also be harmed.
"Let's do this: we'll go around the side, approach that group quietly, and finally find an opportunity to ambush them."
Hogun said. Confronting those people head-on was clearly not a good choice. After all, the other side held Thor's life; if they used him as a hostage, they wouldn't be able to act.
"Okay, let's do that. Let's go quickly."
Sif nodded and agreed to the plan without hesitation.
Having reached an agreement, the few of them quickly moved to the side and quietly approached Thor's direction.
...
On this side, Destroyer's attack came.
Clint's expression changed, and he quickly lunged to the side.
Bang!!!
Just as Clint dodged, Destroyer fired a light beam, instantly blasting a large crater into the ground.
Seeing the power of Destroyer's beam, Clint couldn't help but feel a bit of lingering fear. Fortunately, he hadn't been overconfident and had dodged; otherwise, if his mortal body had been hit, he would have probably turned to ash instantly.
Thinking of this, Clint looked at Destroyer with a solemn expression.
With strong recovery abilities and incredibly fierce attacks, where on earth did this kind of robot come from? He had never heard of it.
Such an enemy couldn't be fought head-on. Clint made up his mind, pulled out a fletched arrow that was slightly different from the previous ones, and fired it with his bow.
Ding!!!
This arrow didn't hit Destroyer's body but landed at its feet, starting to beep and flash a red light.
Destroyer looked at the arrow at its feet, not knowing what Clint was doing, so it ignored it and prepared to continue its attack on Clint.
The next second.
Bang!!!
The arrowhead exploded violently. Caught off guard, Destroyer was knocked directly to the ground.
Although he had knocked down Destroyer, Clint didn't show any joy. He knew that such an attack was not enough to cause any real damage to this big hunk of iron.
He already wanted to retreat, but there were many civilians behind him, and he didn't have a car, so he couldn't escape Destroyer's attack range at all.
As Clint expected, Destroyer only fell for a moment before standing straight back up, without a single scratch on its body.
And Clint's attack seemed to have enraged Destroyer. It aimed in Clint's direction, and the beam on its head lit up more brightly than ever before. Then, countless beams shot out from its head, firing toward Clint.
"Holy shit!!!"
Clint's face changed drastically as he scrambled to run to the side. Who would have thought this thing could fire so many attacks at once? If he had known, how could he have stayed there?
Bang!!!!
At the same time, countless beams landed near Clint, directly blasting him away and sending him crashing to the ground.
...
High above New Mexico.
Tony was flying in the sky wearing the Mark 6, and behind him followed five steel suits of different designs and polished finishes. They looked like his newly developed models.
"Jarvis, I bet with these new suits, this trip to New Mexicowill definitely be my personal show. No one can stop me."
Tony smiled excitedly. He couldn't wait to see the shocked looks on others' faces, and that guy who newly acquired extraordinary powers—I must show him my strength.
"Sir, a strong energy fluctuation has been detected five kilometers away from you. The location is the town ahead."
While Tony was fantasizing, Jarvis's voice came through.
"A strong energy fluctuation? Who could it be? Could it be the person who gained extraordinary power? No, isn't that person over by S.H.I.E.L.D.? They wouldn't just leave it alone."
Tony was stunned for a moment, not knowing who it could be. But no matter who it was, emitting such powerful energy clearly meant they didn't come with good intentions.
Looking at the suits around him, Tony's confidence surged again. No matter who it is, even if Superman comes, my suits aren't afraid.
Thinking of this, Tony smiled confidently and said.
"It seems my performance is going to start early. Jarvis, change direction and head toward the energy fluctuation. I want to see who it is."
Chapter 48: Firepower Suppression of the Iron Legion
From high above, Destroyer continued its heavy strides toward Clint.
"Hiss!!!"
Clint struggled to straighten up, painfully clutching his abdomen where a scorched wound now oozed blood continuously.
There had been too many attacks just now; although he had tried his best to dodge, one had still grazed his abdomen.
"No, I can't dodge that thing's attacks like this."
Clint took a few steps while enduring the intense pain, but his speed was far from ideal; the wound in his abdomen left him unable to exert any strength.
Meanwhile, Destroyer behind him aimed at Clint once more, light waves condensing at its crown.
"Clark, you..."
Seeing this from a distance, Lois cried out in alarm and gripped Clark tightly. She knew that in the current situation, only Clark could save that agent.
"I know."
Clark also focused his power throughout his body. He certainly wouldn't let the person who saved Lois die like this, but he still hesitated. At this distance, only Superman's power could save the man, but if he acted here, everyone around would know his identity as Superman.
Torn by conflict, Clark remained where he was, not moving directly.
Seeing Destroyer condensing its attack, Clint couldn't help but give a bitter smile. He definitely wouldn't be able to dodge this time; he hadn't expected his career as an agent to end like this.
Destroyer's attack reached its peak, seemingly about to fire.
Just then, a series of rumbles echoed from the sky as trails of fire streaked across the firmament.
Whiz!!!
An energy wave descended from above, striking Destroyerdirectly on the head.
Bang!!!
Destroyer's head was knocked aside by the attack, and the condensed energy dissipated.
"This is..."
Clint stared blankly at that energy wave, stunned for a moment.
"What, no applause for such a dashing rescue?"
Tony's arrogant voice drifted down from above.
Everyone looked up at the sky.
Mark 6 thrust its hands forward, using the Repulsors to brake to a halt, then hovered in mid-air with its hands pointed downward.
It wasn't over yet. Another figure flew in and stopped beside Mark 6—it was the newly developed Mark 17 Heartbreaker. Then, one by one, several more figures flew down.
Before long, five suits stood beside Mark 6: Mark 17, Mark 10, Mark 11, Mark 13, and Mark 20.
"Tony Stark."
Clint's brows shot up as he breathed a sigh of relief. He had seen the power of the Iron Man Suit in S.H.I.E.L.D.files; only the Iron Man Suit stood a chance against the robot before him.
"It's Tony. God, the guy finally showed up."
Seeing Tony's arrival, Coulson's brow relaxed. With Tonybringing so many Iron Man Suits this time, they should be more than enough to handle this robot.
"It's Iron Man Stark..."
Lois breathed a sigh of relief seeing the agent saved.
Beside her, Clark also relaxed his tensed body. In that final second, he had been ready to rush out. Fortunately, Starkarrived in time, preventing his identity from being exposed.
Stark had helped him handle the public opinion before, and now he had indirectly helped him keep his identity secret; Clark felt a sense of gratitude.
Just then.
Destroyer recovered and turned its head toward Tony, who had attacked it.
"Hey, big guy, who made you? I've never seen this kind of technology before."
Tony frowned as he watched Destroyer recover instantly.
His energy wave had just hit the thing directly in the head, yet it recovered as if nothing had happened. Such technology was unheard of; where on earth did it come from?
Destroyer didn't respond to Tony, merely aiming at him and beginning to condense a light wave.
"Seems like you're not in the mood for a chat. Well, nothing for it then."
Tony shrugged and raised his right hand. With a hum, his Repulsor fired an energy wave.
Having been caught off guard once, Destroyer clearly wouldn't fall for it again. It instantly fired a light wave that shattered Tony's.
"Looks like you're a bit cranky, little Iron Man. Jarvis, let's show our guest something special."
As Tony spoke, two Shoulder Cannons appeared, instantly firing several small missiles toward Destroyer.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Destroyer fired light waves to destroy the missiles, but a few still landed on its body, making it stagger.
"Certainly, sir."
Upon receiving the command, the eyes of the suits behind Tony lit up. They dispersed in an orderly fashion, surrounding Destroyer.
Surrounded, Destroyer showed no panic. With a flash of red light, it fired a beam at Mark 17.
The Repulsor Cannon on the chest of Mark 17 Heartbreaker flickered before unleashing a powerful energy wave toward Destroyer.
Bang!!!
The two attacks collided. Mark 17's chest cannon was clearly more intense, directly scattering Destroyer's beam and blasting into its body.
Bang!!!
Destroyer swayed from the blast, its footsteps faltering.
At that moment, Mark 13 quickly closed in. Destroyer tried to grab it, but the speed-oriented Mark 13 dodged easily. Taking advantage of Destroyer's inability to react, it landed a blast on its head.
Destroyer was hit hard. After a moment of wobbling, it fell heavily to the ground.
Meanwhile, the other Mark series suits took the opportunity to collectively fire their energy waves at full power, blasting Destroyer.
"I don't believe you can withstand this one."
Tony also flew into the air, condensing an energy wave to attack Destroyer.
Hum!!!
Multiple energy waves struck Destroyer, knocking it back several meters and pinning it down.
Seeing this, Tony chuckled. So what if it recovered quickly? It was still being suppressed.
But the next second.
A red light flashed atop the suppressed Destroyer's head, and it condensed an extremely powerful beam to counter Tony and the others.
Boom!!!
"What the hell is this thing?"
Tony's expression changed as he cursed under his breath.
The beam fired by Destroyer alone actually held its own against the combined waves from Tony and his suits, and it was pushing back bit by bit.
Before long, Destroyer's beam was right in front of them, seemingly about to hit Tony.
"Not good."
Tony's face paled as he quickly flew out of the way.
Without Tony's assistance, Destroyer's beam swept through. The Iron Man Suits brought by Tony couldn't block it in time and were all blasted to pieces, parts scattering everywhere.
"Damn it, how can this be?"
Tony first looked at his broken Iron Man Suits with heartache; those were his latest research, and they were ruined just after being brought out.
Then Tony looked back at Destroyer, his eyes filled with solemnity. To be able to withstand such an attack and possess such powerful regenerative abilities—this was going to be difficult.
Chapter 49: The Might of Destroyer! Sif's Group of Four to the Rescue
Meanwhile, Destroyer looked at Tony in the sky and fired another beam of light.
Tony quickly dodged, but Destroyer didn't stop and fired another beam, forcing Tony to dodge awkwardly again.
"This can't go on."
Tony's expression was grim. Not only was the energy emitted by this thing incredibly powerful, but it could also fire without any interval. Its energy seemed infinite, showing no signs of depletion. At this rate, he was no match for it in a long-range battle.
"I have to get close and see if I can find this thing's energy core."
Since it was a robot, it had to have an energy core. As long as that was destroyed, it would surely stop functioning.
Having made up his mind, Tony charged straight towards Destroyer.
Meanwhile.
Destroyer also continuously fired energy attacks at Tony in the air, one after another.
After a series of dodges, Tony had already closed in on Destroyer.
Every time this thing fired energy, its head would glow. That had to be a crucial part.
With that thought, Tony accelerated, instantly flying to Destroyer's right. Then, a steel blade popped out of his right hand, and he stabbed it fiercely into Destroyer.
*Squelch!*
Destroyer's head was pierced, and the glowing light extinguished instantly.
"Success! I really am a genius. How could this thing possibly defeat me?"
Seeing the light go out, Tony smiled. As expected, as long as he put his mind to it, there was no problem he couldn't solve.
Just as Tony was feeling smug, Destroyer's head hummed and lit up again. It turned its head and blasted a beam of light directly at Tony.
Unable to dodge in time, Tony was sent flying by Destroyer and crashed to the ground.
"*Cough, cough!* Jarvis, check the armor's status."
Lying on the ground, Tony felt pain all over his body and quickly called for Jarvis to run a check.
"Report, sir: the power system is severely damaged, and mobility is at 10%. I suggest an immediate replacement."
Tony's face fell at those words. He wanted to change it too, but how could he do that in the middle of a battle?
Just then, the sound of Destroyer's footsteps came from nearby. Tony's expression changed drastically as he looked over.
He saw Destroyer approaching again, its head aimed at him, energy beginning to condense.
What should he do now? The armor was immobilized, and he couldn't escape on foot. Tony's mind raced, trying to find a solution, but unfortunately, there was none.
At that moment, the energy in Destroyer's head reached its peak, ready to fire.
The next second.
"Hey, Destroyer! In my capacity as the Prince of Asgard, I command you to stop!"
Thor stepped in front of Tony and blocked Destroyer. This Destroyer was his father's weapon; he felt responsible for what was happening and couldn't just stand by.
Tony looked ahead and saw Thor standing in front of him, blocking Destroyer.
"Who is this?"
Tony was completely bewildered. Why did someone suddenly appear to block the way? And he didn't look like a superhero—wasn't he just asking for death?
"Thor!!!"
Jane cried out from a distance. She didn't know when Thor had run over to stop Destroyer. He was just an ordinary human; one hit from that thing would blow him to pieces. At that thought, Jane uncontrollably started walking toward Thor.
"Don't go over there, Jane."
Lois grabbed Jane. In this situation, Jane going over would only cause more trouble. But if Thor died, Jane would be heartbroken. Thinking of this, Lois looked at Clark for help.
Clark understood what Lois meant and gave her a reassuring look. At the same time, he tensed his body, ready to act. Thor was his friend, after all, and with no one else to save him, Clark wouldn't let that robot kill him.
"Why did Thor go to protect the humans? Did we misunderstand? He wasn't kidnapped?"
Sif and the others, who had already drawn close, were bewildered. They looked at each other, clearly realizing that Thor hadn't been kidnapped; otherwise, why would he rush in to save those humans?
"This won't do. Thor has no divine power right now. One hit from Destroyer could kill him. We have to get over there quickly."
Sif's expression shifted, and she spoke with great urgency.
Hogun and the others looked at each other, all showing signs of worry. Not daring to delay, they rushed toward Thor.
Loki, who was secretly controlling Destroyer, also saw his brother. Hearing Thor's words, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he let out a cold laugh.
Prince of Asgard? How foolish. You are nothing but a mortal now. Even mjolnir was lifted by a mortal; you are an absolute disgrace to Asgard.
Once I kill you and that mortal, I will be the only Prince of Asgard. Then, I will replace that old man Odin and become the King of Asgard.
With that thought, Loki issued a command to Destroyer.
"Kill the person in front of you, Destroyer."
Receiving the command, a red light flashed on Destroyer's head. It instantly aimed at Thor and began condensing energy.
"Destroyer, what are you doing? I am the Prince of Asgard!"
Seeing Destroyer preparing to attack, Thor continued to command it.
"What Asgard? Are you an idiot? Run!"
Tony quickly scrambled out of his armor and grabbed Thor, trying to pull him away.
He didn't know if the man was a fool. He was about to die, yet instead of running, he was standing there claiming to be some prince.
"I'm not leaving. Destroyer is my father's weapon; it won't attack me."
Thor was incredibly stubborn, and Tony couldn't budge him.
But Destroyer gave no response. The energy beam on its head was about to fire.
"Great, now neither of us can escape. What rotten luck, dying with another man."
Seeing that Destroyer had already condensed the beam, Tony sighed. He could have left the man and escaped on his own, but the man had put himself in danger to save him. Tony couldn't bring himself to abandon him.
Just as Destroyer was about to fire the beam...
*Thwack!*
A spear pierced through Destroyer's chest, interrupting its energy condensation.
"Thor, are you alright?"
Sif's voice came from behind Destroyer.
Thor looked up and saw Sif holding a spear behind Destroyer. He was instantly overjoyed.
Since his divine power had been stripped away, he hadn't seen his friends for a long time. He hadn't expected them to appear here and save his life.
"Sif!!!"
Chapter 50: Clark Wields Mjolnir!
Tony also breathed a sigh of relief; it looked like they had been saved.
But why were these people dressed so strangely? Where on earth did they come from? Their weapons also looked like something used by ancient people.
"Fortunately, hold fire for now. There are friendlies on the back of that thing."
Seeing that Thor and the others were unharmed, Coulsonalso breathed a sigh of relief, then ordered the people around him not to continue firing.
In this situation, firing could easily result in friendly fire, and judging by the woman's appearance, she seemed quite capable and might very well be able to defeat that robot.
"Thor, I've found you."
Seeing that Thor was safe and sound, Sif, who was on Destroyer's back, breathed a sigh of relief and then said excitedly.
Having searched for so long, finally seeing Thor again, her excitement was self-evident.
Just then, Destroyer actually inverted itself, aimed at Sif, and began to condense a beam of light.
"Oh no."
Sif reacted quickly and tried to draw her spear to counterattack, but she couldn't pull it out at all.
Looking down, she saw that Destroyer's arm had tightly grasped her spear, and because of this delay, Sif didn't have time to dodge.
The next second.
Bang!!!
A mace smashed heavily into Destroyer's head, directly interrupting its charge.
"Hogun."
Thor looked at the person holding the mace, his face lighting up with joy.
It was indeed Hogun, who had arrived from behind, accompanied by two others.
With the addition of Hogun and the other two, the pressure on Sif decreased significantly, and with attacks coming one after another, they gradually suppressed Destroyer until it couldn't move.
"You know, your friends are actually pretty good; they've managed to suppress that monster."
Tony, watching the battle in the arena reach a fever pitch, couldn't help but compliment Thor.
After all, this was an enemy he hadn't been able to defeat even after deploying five suits of armor, and these people were trading blows with it using only their physical bodies, which showed they were indeed very strong.
"Of course, they are all the finest Asgardian warriors."
Thor nodded quite proudly.
"Great, it seems the strength of these people is indeed not to be underestimated."
Just as he finished speaking.
The situation on the battlefield changed; Destroyer, having been suppressed, gradually adapted to the attacks from Sifand the others, its head flashed with red light, and it instantly fired a crimson beam of light.
Sif, unable to react in time, was sent flying on the spot and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
That wasn't the end of it; having succeeded with one strike, Destroyer fired another beam of light at Hogun and the others.
Bang!!!
Hogun and the others also failed to block Destroyer's attack and were all knocked to the ground.
"Sif!!! Hogun!!!"
Seeing that his friends had all been injured by Destroyer, Thor hurriedly ran to Sif, who was closest, to check on her injuries.
The situation was okay; although Sif was seriously injured, her life was not in danger, but she definitely wouldn't be able to continue fighting.
It was the same for Hogun and the others; Destroyer's order was to kill all mortals, so it had only wounded these Asgardians and did not continue to attack.
"Hey, now is not the time to be sentimental. That big guy over there doesn't look like he plans to let us go."
Tony, seeing Thor still there checking Sif's injuries, couldn't help but come over and point at Destroyer.
They had to remember they were on a battlefield. Just a moment ago, he thought these people were their saviors, but he hadn't expected them to be defeated without even holding out for one hit; now they were in danger again.
Thor also realized that Destroyer had caused all of this. His face immediately turned angry, he gently laid Sif on the ground, stood up straight, and walked toward Destroyer.
"If you want to continue, then you'll have to step over my dead body."
Thor stared at Destroyer with extremely angry eyes. He could tolerate Destroyer's actions of attacking humans just now, but now his friends were injured, which touched his bottom line. Since that was the case, he wanted to see if this Destroyer really intended to kill him, the Prince of Asgard.
"I can't let you have all the glory by yourself."
Tony also walked up, his face still wearing an arrogant smile. Since he couldn't leave anyway, he might as well go out in style.
"Seriously, I'm going to die together with the two of you."
Clint walked over, shook his head as if in disgust, and also...
"Finally, Thor is finally going to die by my hands. Rest assured, I will cherish the throne of Asgard."
Hidden in the shadows, Loki watched the three people before him through Destroyer's perspective and laughed wildly. The next second, he gave the order to attack to Destroyer.
Having received the order, Destroyer looked down at the two people before it, its red light flashed, and with a hum, it began to condense the beam of light on its head.
"No, it can't be stopped."
In the distance, Coulson's expression changed. He clenched his hands tightly, his mind constantly thinking of strategies to cope, but regrettably, there was simply no way.
"Thor."
Jane collapsed powerlessly to the ground, her eyes full of despair. She hadn't expected that before she could even confess her feelings, the two of them would be separated forever.
"Clark, you..."
Lois also couldn't bear it and grabbed Clark, who was beside her.
"Sigh... Lois, don't worry, I'm going over."
Clint held Lois's hand and sighed. In this situation, there was no way he could not step in.
Fortunately, he had the Power of Thor, so he could avoid exposing his identity as Superman.
At the same time.
The red light on Destroyer's head condensed to its peak, waves of scorching heat even reached those around it; it was about to fire.
Although Thor, Tony, and Clint said they weren't afraid, cold sweat ran down their foreheads; clearly, it wasn't as easy as they claimed.
The next second.
Destroyer's attack finished charging, and an incredibly fierce beam of light was emitted from its head, rushing straight toward Thor and the others.
Seeing this scene, everyone fell into despair.
But just at this moment, the sky rolled, and an incredibly thick bolt of lightning instantly descended, colliding with Destroyer's attack.
Bang!!!
The collision of the two attacks created a massive explosion, directly knocking Thor and the others flying, and after the explosion, both attacks exhausted their power and dissipated.
"Cough, cough, what was that?"
Tony patted the sand off himself, a bit confused about the situation.
"We're not dead?"
Clint felt himself up and down, pleasantly surprised to find that he wasn't injured.
"What was that just now..."
Only Thor felt the lightning from just now was somewhat familiar; he looked forward in confusion, then exclaimed.
"Clark!!!"
Tony and Clint also looked in the direction of the voice.
They saw a tall and robust figure holding Mjolnir, his whole body flickering with lightning, standing in front of them—it was Clark.
"Clark went over."
In the distance, Coulson breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Clark save them, but immediately afterward, he remembered that Clark was just a reporter who had never fought before.
Even if he had mastered such powerful strength, he might not necessarily be able to beat that robot, and he couldn't help but feel some worry in his heart.
Chapter 51: Clark Smashes Destroyer
"It's Clark, he actually..."
Jane breathed a sigh of relief seeing Thor saved, but then, seeing Clark enveloped in lightning in the field, she grew puzzled. When did Clark gain such power? She couldn't help but look questioningly at Lois M. beside her.
"I don't know either."
Lois also shook her head in confusion. How did Clarkobtain lightning abilities, and why wasn't he hiding his identity?
At the same time,
Destroyer on the field also turned its gaze towards the Clark before it.
"It's this lowly mortal."
A vicious glint flashed in Loki's eyes. He hadn't even gone looking for trouble with this person, yet the man had delivered himself right to the doorstep. A mortal unfamiliar with Mjolnir, even if granted immense power, how could he possibly match Destroyer's combat prowess? Truly overestimating himself.
But since you're here, you can die alongside Thor.
"Destroyer, eliminate the human before you."
Loki gave a sinister laugh and issued the command to Destroyer.
Receiving the order, Destroyer flashed with red light, raised its right hand, and charged at Clark.
"Be careful, Clark, run!"
A look of panic crossed Thor's face as he urgently shouted to Clark. He knew Clark was originally just an ordinary man. Judging from his earlier reluctance to lift the hammer, he didn't enjoy fighting and certainly wasn't a person of great combat strength. Even with the Power of Thor, such a man was absolutely no match for Destroyer.
Seeing Destroyer's attacking fist, Clark's expression didn't change in the slightest. He merely gripped Mjolnir and swung it upwards.
BANG!!!
Mjolnir directly knocked back Destroyer's fist, forcing it to stagger back several steps.
That wasn't all. Before Destroyer could recover, Clarkleaped up, bringing the hammer down heavily on its head.
BANG!!!
Destroyer was bent over by the blow, its legs sinking into the ground.
Simultaneously, lightning flashed in Clark's hand as he struck Destroyer with the hammer once more.
BANG!!!
The hammer, accompanied by lightning falling from the sky, smashed onto Destroyer, this time shattering its head to pieces.
Next, Clark pressed his advantage, hammering Destroyerblow after blow with overwhelming force.
In no time, Destroyer was completely reduced to fragments, only half of its body remaining on the spot, continuously sparking.
"This... this..."
Thor was utterly dumbfounded. Wasn't Clark just an ordinary human? How could he be so fierce? Didn't he dislike fighting? This combat skill surpassed even Asgard's mightiest warrior. And you call this 'not knowing how to fight'? Thor was immensely shocked.
"What..."
Feeling his connection to Destroyer severed completely, Loki was so startled he sat bolt upright.
Just who was this human? How could he be so powerful? Even Destroyer was no match. And where did he learn such combat ability? Wasn't he just a common mortal?
Loki was filled with raging fury, mixed with a hint of fear. Such strength was something even he had to dread.
"Damn it! Am I to let this mortal ascend to the throne of Asgard just like this?"
Loki gnashed his teeth, unwilling to let a lowly mortal take the throne he had dreamed of. But all his schemes had been shattered. Not only was Thor alive, but his super-weapon, Destroyer, had been destroyed. There was no room left for maneuver.
"No, impossible. There must, there must still be a way. I haven't lost yet."
Loki refused to admit defeat, clawing at his head repeatedly, trying to devise a new plan. Since childhood, he had never been favored, always losing to his brother Thor. Now, he had even lost to a mortal he once held in the utmost contempt. He couldn't accept it.
"Admit it, Loki. You have failed."
A majesty (majestic/authoritative) voice came from behind Loki, freezing him in place.
He slowly turned his head. A figure he knew all too well came into view: his father, the All-Father Odin.
"You have disappointed me greatly, my son."
Odin sighed, his eyes filled with disappointment towards Loki. He already knew everything Loki had done. To this day, he could hardly believe his own son would send Destroyer to kill his brother.
"No! You are not my father! You have always deceived me! You always favored Thor, doting on him, giving him the throne! Everything I did is your fault!"
Loki roared hysterically, his voice brimming with resentment. He knew his father's presence here meant he knew everything. Any further explanation was useless, so he simply vented all his pent-up dissatisfaction.
"Loki, I have never favored Thor over you. You are both my sons. I merely gave the throne to the one who deserved it."
Seeing Loki's state, a trace of heartache flickered in Odin's eyes. Although Loki was not his biological son, the affection he held for him was genuine, not a whit less than for Thor.
"Deserved it? Thor deserved it? He has brought shame upon all of Asgard! Father, your decisions are all wrong! You've grown senile! The throne should be mine! I can lead Asgard to its most glorious peak!"
Loki shouted out the voice in his heart. He had long wanted to say this.
Ever since the hammer was lifted by that most ordinary of mortals, he felt Odin's decree was a mistake. Whoever lifts the hammer becomes the next king of Asgard? What a joke! If a lowly mortal sat upon the throne, what would the people of Asgard think?
"Loki, what are you saying? You have completely fallen into darkness."
Hearing Loki's words, Odin took several deep, angry breaths before rebuking him.
He had long known Loki was jealous of Thor and coveted the throne. But after all, he was his son. Odin thought Lokiwould understand one day, so he hadn't intervened. But now it seemed he had been gravely mistaken. He should have disciplined him earlier.
But it wasn't too late. Thinking this, Odin pointed at Lokiand said in a grave voice,
"Loki, it seems my past indulgence led you to become this way. But not this time."
Hearing this, Loki seemed to realize something. His eyes widened in fear as he backed away, repeating incessantly,
"No, you can't, Father. You can't."
"This is what you deserve, Loki."
Odin shook his head, then waved his right hand. Immediately, a portal appeared behind Loki, leading to the endless cosmic abyss.
Loki, unable to dodge in time, was sucked directly into the portal, a look of utter despair in his eyes as he vanished.
Watching the space where Loki disappeared, Odin's feelings were complex. He stood there for a long time without speaking. After all, that was his son. He never imagined it would come to this.
Chapter 52: Clark Becomes Thor's proctor
"God-King, may I come in?"
Just then, Heimdall's voice came from outside the door.
"Come in."
Odin rubbed his temples as he spoke. Heimdall was his most loyal subordinate; his arrival must signify something important.
Heimdall walked in softly and performed a salute.
"Speak, what is the matter?"
Odin gestured for Heimdall to rise and then asked.
"It's about Thor. He failed the trial you set in the lower realm, but the hammer was lifted by a mortal. I'm not sure how you wish to handle this."
Heimdall spoke truthfully. It was impossible for a mortal to be the King of Asgard. Previously, there was no other way, but now that Odin was awake, it was better to let him decide.
"What?"
Odin's expression changed slightly, and he fell silent. He hadn't expected someone in the lower realm to gain mjolnir's recognition. The trial he set had instead become an obstacle for Thor, something he hadn't anticipated.
However, a mortal clearly could not become a Prince of Asgard. His throne had to be passed to his son, Thor. Initially, this trial was only meant to help Thor grow.
But since he could gain mjolnir's recognition, this human was certainly a person of high moral character and courageous sacrifice. If this person became Thor's proctor, it might be a good solution.
Thinking of this, Odin gave instructions to Heimdall.
"Go and bring that mortal and Thor here. I have something to say to them."
"Yes, God-King. I will go at once."
Heimdall did not dare delay and quickly departed.
...
The outskirts of the town.
Thor walked over to Clark and looked at the fragments of Destroyer on the ground.
"Clark, you've truly surprised me. I didn't expect you to be able to use it so well."
Thor spoke to Clark with a complex expression. Seeing Mjolnir moving so freely in Clark's hands filled his heart with an indescribable bitterness.
"It was all just luck."
Clark waved his hand calmly, unwilling to admit it. He didn't want others to think he was extraordinary, as his identity as Superman could easily be exposed.
Just then.
The sky rippled, and an incredibly brilliant aurora descended. Immediately after, Heimdall's voice echoed from above.
"Mortal who picked up Mjolnir, and Thor, God-King Odininvites you up for an audience."
"That's... Heimdall."
Thor recognized the voice.
"The God-King is inviting me up?"
Clark frowned. He wasn't very keen on accepting such an unknown invitation. After all, not knowing if the other party was good or evil, going up like this might lead to trouble.
"Clark, don't worry. That is my father. He likely has something to say and won't harm you."
Thor saw Clark's hesitation and explained.
"Yes, the God-King is most merciful and won't harm you. Don't worry."
Sif, who had recovered, also approached and explained.
"I see... Alright then."
Clark thought about it and finally agreed reluctantly. After all, if he didn't agree, that God-King above might continue to bother him, which he didn't want.
"Clark, what did that voice mean? Are you okay?"
Lois walked over and said with some concern.
"Don't worry, Lois. I'm just going up for a moment. That God-King is Thor's father and won't harm me."
Clark squeezed Lois's hand to reassure her.
"Alright, then you must be careful."
Lois agreed this time, though there was still worry in her eyes.
After Clark finished speaking with Lois, he stepped onto the Bifrost Bridge with Thor, Sif, and the others, and their figures vanished from the spot.
...
Inside the palace.
"God-King, the mortal has been brought here."
Heimdall led Clark and the others to the center of the hall, saluted, and spoke.
"Good. Heimdall, you may step down for now."
Odin turned around and sized up Clark below.
A strong physique, an unyielding gaze, and a heart of justice that could be felt—he was indeed a human chosen by mjolnir. Odin nodded and continued.
"Human, I am God-King Odin. You lifted Mjolnir, and by right, you should become a Prince of Asgard. However, because you are not of the Aesir, you cannot receive this power. I can give you any compensation you desire."
"I don't need any."
Clark shook his head and then said calmly.
"I never intended to be any prince. You can take this hammer back; I don't want it."
"Oh?"
Odin's eyes lit up. This man had witnessed the power of mjolnir yet could resist the temptation and required no conditions. He was truly worthy of being chosen by mjolnir. Only such a person could serve as Thor's proctor.
"I will not take the hammer back yet, but I would like to ask you for a favor."
"That is to be Thor's proctor. When he is worthy, give the hammer to him."
"Of course, you can ask for any condition in return."
Knowing the man before him was worthy, Odin directly stated his request.
"Clark as my proctor?"
Thor was somewhat reluctant. He and Clark were clearly friends, but now he was to be his proctor; it felt a bit awkward.
"A proctor?"
Clark fell silent. This seemed like a good idea. After all, he didn't want the hammer anyway and didn't want to appear before others as a superhero. If he became the proctor, as long as Thor qualified, he could get rid of the hammer and help Thor at the same time—a win-win situation.
Thinking of this, Clark nodded and said.
"Alright, I agree. I don't need any conditions either. After all, Thor is my friend."
"Good."
Odin made no attempt to hide the admiration in his eyes, while simultaneously giving Thor a look of disappointment. Look at him, why was Thor like this?
Thor felt a bit indignant seeing his father's gaze, but under the pressure of his father's majesty, he could only nod.
...
In the small town.
As Clark and the others left, Coulson and his team quickly went over to Destroyer to check the situation.
"Clint, Tony, are you guys okay?"
Coulson first checked the injuries of Tony and Clint, since the two had just been in such close-quarters combat with Destroyer.
"I'm fine. That thing didn't even hit me."
Clint waved his hand dismissively.
"I'm fine too."
Tony was crawling there studying the parts of Destroyer, replying without even looking back.
"That's good then."
Seeing that the two were truly alright, Coulson breathed a sigh of relief. Clint was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ace agent; if something happened to him, the loss would be enormous. Not to mention Tony; if anything happened to him, Stark Industries would not let the matter rest.
Tony looked at the complex internal components of Destroyer and said thoughtfully.
"I've never seen these mechanical components inside before. What kind of technology could create such a powerful robot?"
Chapter 53: Fury's Decision
Coulson walked over upon hearing this. He hadn't seen clearly from a distance, but now that he was closer, he realized that Destroyer was no longer as fierce as it had been before.
Half of its body had been smashed to pieces, while the remaining half was mangled and twisted, with mechanical parts scattered all over the ground.
"This..."
Coulson was somewhat speechless. Was this really the same robot that had easily crushed them earlier?
To think it had been smashed like this by Clark; Clark was simply too fierce!
Didn't he say he was a reporter? How could he be this powerful?
Even with the boost from the hammer's power, he shouldn't be this valiant!
"If I can research this technology thoroughly, the capabilities of the Iron Man Suit will definitely reach a new level!"
"Those people who call themselves gods, in my eyes, are just humans with more advanced technological development!"
"What gods? They're just frauds. How could gods possibly exist in this world?"
Tony said with some disdain, thinking about Thor and the others claiming to be gods.
"Tony, that won't do."
Coulson snapped out of it; he couldn't just give this to Tony.
If this technology got out, it could easily cause massive problems. S.H.I.E.L.D. had to take it into custody.
Thinking of this, Coulson gave orders to the accompanying agents.
"Clean this place up. Collect all the robot parts; do not leave a single component behind."
Receiving the order, the agents nearby quickly began to clear the aftermath.
"Come on, Coulson, this stuff would be much more useful in my hands than yours."
Tony was very reluctant. If he got his hands on this, he could develop even stronger armor to better maintain peace; he didn't believe S.H.I.E.L.D. had the necessary technology.
"Don't worry, Tony. After we eliminate any hidden dangers, we'll give you an opportunity,"
Coulson promised, knowing Tony's thoughts.
Tony finally let it go, but his eyes still lingered longingly on the wreckage of Destroyer on the ground.
After handling the matter of Destroyer, Coulson thought about Clark. Clark's performance this time had exceeded his expectations. It seemed his previous decisions were no longer applicable, and he needed to discuss it with Furyagain.
With that in mind, Coulson walked to a secluded corner, checked his surroundings, pulled out his communicator, and dialed Fury's number.
...
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury was carefully examining the documents in his hand, his expression solemn.
A picture of the Tesseract was prominently displayed on the documents; they were clearly files concerning the Tesseract.
"What exactly is inside this thing? I have to find out."
Fury put down the documents he had finished reading, let out a long sigh, and then leaned back in his chair to deliberate.
Just then.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The communicator at his waist rang out, vibrating in his pocket.
Nick Fury pulled out the communicator, saw it was a call from Coulson, and answered it directly.
"Hello, Coulson. What is it?"
Nick Fury asked immediately upon connecting the call.
"Sir, something happened here. A robot appeared in town just now and attacked everyone indiscriminately. The robot was very powerful. Clint and Tony couldn't beat it even when they teamed up, and our fire support was useless."
Coulson said.
"What..."
"Are you guys okay? Do you need backup?"
Hearing this, Nick Fury sat up straight.
Good grief, something like this happened in such a short time. Tony and Clint's strength was by no means weak, yet even they were helpless.
Then they'd have to deploy the military, but it would be too late even if he sent them now; everyone would be dead by the time the army arrived. What was he to do?
Nick Fury's mind raced as he thought of a countermeasure, but there was no good solution, which gave him a bit of a headache.
"That won't be necessary, sir. The matter has been resolved,"
Coulson said.
"Resolved? How was it resolved?"
Nick Fury was stunned. If Tony and Clint couldn't handle it, who else could? Was he supposed to rely on that reporter who had just become a super-powered human? Nick Furycouldn't figure it out.
"It was Clark, the one who obtained the Power of Thor. He easily dealt with Destroyer using his own strength. His combat power... it even shocked me."
Coulson's voice was full of emotion, as if he were recalling the scene of Clark taking down Destroyer.
"What?"
Nick Fury was completely bewildered. It really was that reporter.
His first reaction was disbelief, but Coulson would never lie to him, so it had to be true.
My goodness, a reporter was stronger than superheroes like Tony and Clint. Nick Fury was shocked.
In that case, the matter of this reporter, Clark, needed to be taken more seriously. After all, if such power were to run wild, it would cause an unimaginable disaster.
He had to make contact with this Clark, Nick Fury thought to himself.
Having made his decision, Nick Fury directly instructed Coulson.
"Coulson, when you return, bring Clark to see me. I need to have a chat with him."
"Understood, sir. I'll see to it."
Coulson immediately accepted the order from Nick Fury.
After they finished speaking, Nick Fury hung up the phone.
"This way, it seems the Avengers Initiative can be carried out smoothly."
Fury said thoughtfully as he sat in his chair. With the powerful Clark joining, the roster for the Avengers Initiative was almost complete; all that remained were some simple arrangements.
Next is this, Nick Fury thought, looking at the data on the Tesseract in front of him.
If this thing isn't handled properly, its danger level is not low either.
"New Mexico... I remember there's a Dr. Erik in New Mexicowho seems to specialize in this field. I suppose I can talk to him."
Thinking of Coulson being in New Mexico, Nick Furyremembered Dr. Erik, who was skilled in this area, and made a decision. With that, he quickly sent another message to Coulson, telling him to bring Dr. Erik back as well.
...
Deep within the Cosmic Abyss.
In the darkness, a massive spaceship was stationed.
Inside a room within the spaceship.
"Ah, Father, you can't!"
Loki, lying on the bed, suddenly woke up with a start, sitting up covered in cold sweat.
But when he opened his eyes, what greeted him was not the endless darkness he had imagined, but a room with a black color scheme and a heavy mechanical feel.
"Where is this? Why am I here? Wasn't I exiled to the Cosmic Abyss by my father?"
Loki was dazed for a moment, then looked around in confusion.
"You were rescued by us, Second Prince of Asgard."
A voice with a strange intonation suddenly appeared nearby, making Loki startle as he quickly turned to look.
He saw a strange figure, entirely in black, standing there watching him.